Other events in Baltic States

Zbignevs Stankevics was ordained as the new metropolitan archbishop of the Archdiosese of Riga on August 8 in a ceremony at Riga Dome Cathedral which was attended by several bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, Latvian public officials, and around 100 members of the public, informs LETA.

Among the Latvian public officials in attendance were President Valdis Zatlers with his wife Lilita, Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (New Era), and several Saeima deputies.

Stankevics was appointed archbishop of Riga on June 19 by Pope Benedict XVI, and succeeds Cardinal Janis Pujats, who occupied the position from 1991.

Born in Lejasciems, Gulbene Region, in 1955, Stankevics studied engineering at the Riga Polytechnical Institute and worked for several years in this sphere before joining the priesthood. He also studied philosophy and theology in Lublin, Poland, and in Rome. He previously served as Spiritual Director and Director of the Seminary Institute of Religious Sciences in Riga.